NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Anyone who has faced a health setback knows how hard it can be to recover from surgery or a major illness.
For people without a home, follow-up appointments and filling prescriptions can be an even bigger challenge.
That's one reason Vanderbilt University Medical Center is taking some of the care they offer outside hospital walls with their Homeless Health Services Team.
"I'm looking for places that are a bit hidden, that somebody might place a tent," said Dr. Chase Palisch, an emergency department physician and part of Vanderbilt's Homeless Health Services team.
According to Palisch, once a week the team heads out to different spots where unhoused people may be sheltering to offer follow-up care to people who’ve been treated at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
"What we're trying to do is intervene and meet the patient where they're at so that we can make sure that their care is continuing as it would for any other patient," said Palisch.
In addition to treating patients who’ve come through the doors at Vanderbilt, they also offer to care for others who may need it, all for free.
Palisch said the hospital encounters patients who are experiencing homelessness daily, treating about 2,000 people per year who are unhoused.
He said not having a permanent home can severely complicate recovery.
"They don't have access to clean water, they don't have access to housing, normal things that we would expect in the healing process," said Palisch.
"We're kind of like house calls for patients who don't have homes," said Palisch.
Click here for more information about services offered at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Click here for information on community resource for people needing health care.
"This story was reported on-air by Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Coles verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."
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